Thursday, 28 June 2012

Hello again!
Well, this is my third and final project! I have to say a great big Thank You to Jennie and Emma for inviting me to be part of the team, albeit for such a short time! I can honestly say I've had a ball creating these pieces to share......and that is a very dodgy way of introducing my creation today..... (ball? Butterfly Ball? geddit?!!)
Anyway.....

This project started out as something completely different.....but once I could 'see' a carriage shape sort of emerging from the canvas block and spools, this is what happened! Another quirky, painty, assemblage piece.
A little step by step 'how to'......
I started off with a wooden block (Chunky ATC sized, but that was coincidence rather than design, it was the first thing that came to hand!). I then covered it with Sticky Backed Canvas . Yes, I could have just painted onto the wood, but I really like the canvas texture!

I then smeared layers of Blank Canvas (white), Pool (turquoise) and Lettuce (green) paint onto the block. Make sure to dry in between applying each colour, and continue to build up the layers until you like it!

Once the spools are dry, attach them to the bottom of the block using hot glue.
Now, the butterflies. Paint some scraps of card with the four bright paint colours, then stamp the Butterflies using black ink. Cut out, then adhere to the block base....

To get the 3D effect, use strips of acetate stuck to the butterflies, then adhered at different points to the base. Now, this isn't a pic I'd normally show, but it really gives you an idea of the 'workings' of the butterflies..

The acetate on the side of the block can be hidden by adding an extra butterfly over it!
The 'guardian' of my carriage is a vintage image that I've backed onto card, cut out then stuck to a little square stand. She holds a bamboo skewer sign....

I made a hole in the image, then threaded through some fine chain to look like she's holding it. The chain is simply looped over a Resin Crown glued to the top of the carriage...

So...there you have it! A suitably strange project to end my guest designer stint here!

Thank you for having me, I've loved it!
See you all soon,
Trish xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Good morning everyone, this is Astrid here with my second project for June.I decided to make a little altered jewellery box as I needed a present for a friend that loves jewellery and adores this style.

I then darkened the edges and corners a bit with some dark brown chalk ink from my stash and added some gold highlight with Viva Decor Inka Gold.

My next step was to create a topper. I cut some smooth white card to fit the top of my box and sponged it all over with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink Next I stamped three different stamps, The regency background stamp, the Script stamp again and one of the stamps from the swirls, splats and dots plate. I love how you can create some amazing old looking paper by using these stamps together and destressing the edges a bit.

Monday, 25 June 2012

Hi all, Kat here,
I have made a journal page to share with you today,
I haven't made it in a journal as I like the freedom a loose leaf gives me,
when I have made enough loose pages I am going to make them into a book.

I finally remembered to take pictures of the process,
I am really pleased with this page I hope you like it!

It features one of my empathy monsters (he is called Meenie)
I drew him myself, along with the flower,
he has 3 brothers Eenie, Mineey & Moe,
that I am sure I will be introducing you to in my pages at a later date,
along with their own special flowers,
anyway enough waffle from me, here's my page.

Saturday, 23 June 2012

Hi, and welcome to another one of my blog posts. This time I thought I would show you a step by step how to "gesso your way" into the world of altering books or journals, or just a plain old tag!!
This is one of those techniques where I get more on my hands than on the page, and don't tell my husband, but I got it on the camera too! Luckily it did come off!
I used a journal to show you how to do this technique , but you could easily do a smaller piece like a tag or ATC.
Start by laying the Stencil - I used a Dylusions 9 x12 one, and take a small amount of gesso I used Claudine's studio gesso, which is lovely and thick), and spread it over the stencil with an old credit card or craft scraper. I do spread it quite thin, but not perfectly, if you know what I mean? Important tip, wash your stencil almost immediately as it does dry very quickly, and will be difficult to remove.

I also used a background stamp, and using a small piece of one of those household sponges, (the type that cost pennies in the supermarket) to dab gesso onto the stamps and stamp it immediately. I also stamped it a couple of times to get a sort of shadowy effect. Wash the stamp quickly to remove all the gesso.

I allowed it to dry naturally, and then sprayed over it with Dylusions sprays in greens, yellows and a touch of turquoise.

I love the effect the sprays have on the gesso, showing through some of the white. I just let it dry naturally, but, if you have no patience, use the Dyan technique of rolling a kitchen towel roll over the entire piece, or heat dry.

I added stamps by stamping them with Archival , which dries quickly. I also cut up one of the background stamps so that I had a strip of dots to stamp randomly with :))

I do hope you like this technique, and if you haven't any gesso, you can use any thick paint and get a similar effect.
I have linked all the products here:

A little sardine tin was wandering around... I have put make-up on her, and look how happy she is now, and how smart she is with her little slippers ! And how proud for hosting such a nice playing card mini-album !